Spirits of the Dead

Roman Funerary Commemoration in Western Europe

Maureen Carroll

Description

Spirits of the Dead examines the importance attached to preserving the memory of the dead in the Roman world, and explores the ways in which funerary inscriptions can be used to reconstruct Roman lives, however fragmentarily and imperfectly. It is the only study to examine epigraphic, historical, and archaeological evidence in order to gain insight into the way Romans used funerary texts to establish a dialogue with their own society. Maureen Carroll brings together a large body of material from many geographical areas, shedding light on provincial and regional variation in funerary commemoration and even on the differences between funerary traditions of neighbouring towns.

Spirits of the Dead

Roman Funerary Commemoration in Western Europe

Maureen Carroll

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. Memory and commemoration3. Anonymity, violation, and memory loss4. Selecting a monument5. Conveying a message6. Causes of death7. Family and household8. Mapping population movement9. Social mobility and social change10. Death on earth, life in heaven11. Conclusion